Conventional optical communication systems typically implement one or more discrete in-line amplifiers to amplify an optical communication signal as it traverses a communication span or transmission fiber. These systems seek to compensate for losses associated with transmission through the transmission fiber by providing optical amplifiers for each transmission fiber at selected sites. Some conventional communication systems communicate only a relatively small number of optical channels. These systems typically desire a cost-effective optical amplifier to amplify the optical signals as they traverse the communication span or transmission fiber. However, the cost of an optical amplifier and other support equipment is not reduced linearly with a reduction in the number of optical signals, i.e. there are fixed costs that are required for the first optical channel.